The Exhibitor (Nov 1941-May 1942)

8 SPG Inaugurates Leaflet Drive Takes Issue To Public New York — Screen Publicists Guild last week went out “in person” to distribute pamphlets informing the city’s moviegoers of seven months’ effort to reach an equit¬ able contract agreement with major pro¬ ducers. The action followed a member¬ ship meeting where a unanimous strike vote was taken. The vote empowered the Guild’s broad action committee to call a strike at its discretion. These theatres were pamphleted by the SPG members: Radio City Music Hall, Capitol, Para¬ mount, Rivoli, Palace, Loew’s State, Astor, and Roxy. It was the start of a nation-wide cam¬ paign to enlist support for the publicists against what they termed the “bad faith and repeated stallings.” The SPG, certified last July by the National Labor Relations Board as sole collective bargaining agent for advertising and publicity workers in the home offices of the companies, comprises 99 per cent of the eligible personnel at Columbia, Loew’s, Metro, RKO, Universal, United Artists, Warners, Paramount, and 20th CenturyFox. Joseph Gould, SPG president and chair¬ man, negotiating committee, said the pro¬ ducers twice have repudiated agreements. ARP Film Begun Hollywood — Darryl F. Zanuck, chair¬ man, Research Council of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, last week announced the start of the first Re¬ search Council Civilian Defense Film. “Instruction for the Air Raid Warden” details the air raid warden’s duties, and will be used in training the thousands of civilian air raid wardens now being or¬ ganized. MacEwen to Paramount New York — Walter MacEwen, a pro¬ ducer at Warners, last week signed a con¬ tract with Paramount, which studio he will join on April 3 in the capacity of produc¬ tion executive. MacEwen, during his 12 years at Warners, was also story editor and executive assistant to Hal B. Wallis. Walt Disney Honored Washington — Walt Disney was honored last week by the National Education As¬ sociation, which lauded the creator of “Fantasia” specifically for his contribution to the fields of visual education and music appreciation. Harry Kalmine Back New York — Harry M. Kalmine, assist¬ ant general manager, Warners theatres, came back to his desk last week from a business trip to Cleveland, O. Holt In Six Westerns Hollywood — RKO announced last week that Tim Holt returns to the saddle for six new outdoor action features to be pro¬ duced for the 1942-43 program. THE EXHIBITOR M of D Total Grows NEW YORK — It was announced last week that the March of Dimes total has risen to a total of $1,297,204, with more still due and expected to come in shortly. Metropolitanites Aid Gov’t Reels New York — Distributors and exhibitors of the local exchange territory will con¬ duct a joint meeting tomorrow (March 19) following a luncheon at the Hotel Astor, to discuss methods whereby com¬ plete co-operation with the Government in the matter of showing defense reels may best be obtained. Meeting will be con¬ ducted under the auspices of the War Activities Committee. It is expected that upwards of 200 will attend. Committee in charge of arrangements consists of Harry Brandt, Si Fabian, Louis Frisch, and Fred Schwartz, and Arthur Mayer, assistant to the co-ordinator. Rob¬ ert Wolf, RKO, is in charge of distributor attendance, IA Tightening Up New York — It was stated here last week that the IATSE is determined to prevent a repetition of the Bioff-Browne regime, and that a reform program will be sub¬ mitted at the IA’s biennial convention in June. One amendment to the constitution would deny the right to hold any office in the IA or any of its locals to “any mem¬ ber previously convicted, sentenced or im¬ prisoned in a penitentiary for a term of more than one year for the commission of a crime anywhere in the U. S. or Canada.” Disqualification would apply to “all offices regardless of whether they are filled by election, appointment, or otherwise.” Another amendment to be presented to the delegates calls for the audit by certi¬ fied. public accountants of “the books of account of the general secretary-treasurer of the Alliance and the books of account of any other person who handles the funds of the Alliance.” A similar provision is made regarding any affiliated local union. Announce Drive Winners Scranton, Pa. — Winners of the annual Comerford Theatres Managers Drive in honor of Y. Frank Freeman were an¬ nounced last week by the home office. Dis¬ trict managers who won prizes were Thomas Carey and Thomas Walsh, Bing¬ hamton, N. Y., district; Edgar Simonis, Lebanon, Pa., district; and Thomas V. Kil¬ leen, Wilkes-Barre, Pa., district. Awards in the managers’ divisions went to Matt J. O’Keefe, Capitol, Scranton, Pa., Group A; T. J. Hanifin, Strand, Bingham¬ ton, N. Y., Group B; A. J. McDaniels, Strand, Endicott, N. Y., Group C; Robert Schmidt, Temple, Berwick, Pa., Group D; Worth Dittrich, State, Endicott, N. Y., Group E; Joseph Dalton, Lyric, Shenan¬ doah, Pa., Group F. Voting Even On UMPI Plan Varied Reports Are Indicated New York — It was indicated last week that organizations voting on the UMPI plan were about equally divided pro and con, with those expressing approval, in many cases, suggesting amendments or changes. Independent Theatre Owners of Northern California became the first MPTOA unit to reject the UMPI sales plan. Other results showed Allied units of Maryland, Connecticut, Michigan, Indiana, and Eastern Pennsylvania, and the ITOA of New York have approved, while the proposal was rejected by Pacific Coast Conference of Independent Theatre Own¬ ers, New Jersey Allied, ITPA of Wisconsin, Independent Theatre Owners of Northern California, and Independent Exhibitors, Inc., of New England. Ohio Independent Theatre operators last week at a general meeting held in Colum¬ bus, O., unanimously endorsed the selling plan with the following modification: That not less than 12 pictures be offered in each group, with an unrestricted 20 per cent cancellation to apply to the entire number of pictures offered in each group. A mo¬ tion was unanimously approved whereby distributors be asked to designate rental price and playing terms of all pictures at the time contracts are executed. The board of directors of Illinois Allied in Chicago reversed its previous action in rejecting UMPI's proposed substitute sales plan, and endorsed the blocks of 12 plan with reservations. Texas Theatre Owners, Inc., unaffiliated unit, last week registered disapproval of the plan at a regional membership meet¬ ing. Group urges a plan for twice yearly selling and 20 per cent cancellation. The executive committee of the United Motion Picture Theatre Owners of East¬ ern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey, and Delaware approved the UMPI plan last week in accordance with its repre¬ sentative on the committee. AMPA Date Changed New York — Date of AMPA’s luncheon honoring Cecil B. DeMille’s 30th anniver¬ sary in the entertainment world has been changed from April 2 to March 26, Vincent Trotta, president, AMPA, announced last week. Luncheon will be held at the WaldorfAstoria Hotel during DeMille’s visit to New York for the eastern premiere of “Reap the Wild Wind.” Producer-director will arrive here on March 22. 20th-Fox Pays On Preferred New York — Twentieth Century-Fox last week declared a cash dividend of 37 Vz cents per share for the first quarter of 1942 on outstanding preferred stock, payable on March 31 to stockholders of record on March 23. Company also declared a cash dividend of 25 cents per share on the out¬ standing common stock, payable at the same time to stockholders of record. March 18, 1942